Beauty Busts, Episode One

I have a bit of an obsessive personality, especially when it comes to purchases.  I will research a topic or product to DEATH before I buy it.  I'll spend days, weeks, even MONTHS reading every single review on the internet before handing over my hard earned cash -- for small purchases and large purchases alike.  Usually, my time and energy pays off and I end up thrilled with my purchases. However, occasionally there's a fluke and I end up with something terrible.  Nothing is worse than a lackluster beauty purchase. 

 I get passionate over my beauty products, so I'm making it my mission to save you from the heartaches that I've endured (I know, I know -- dramatic, much?).  I've got so many that this will have to be a multi-part post, so let's go ahead and get started!

Maybelline Great Lash

Okay, is there anyone that actually likes this stuff? No? Just PR girls who pay its way onto every "Best Of" List in the beautysphere? The formula sucks, the brush sucks. Hello, Tammy Faye Baker lashes.

Maybelline, stop trying to make fetch happen.  It's not gonna happen.

Ole Hendriksen Truth Serum Vitamin C Collagen Booster

Truthfully (hehe)? This stuff isn't terrible.  It didn't make me break out and it didn't ruin my skin forever.  In fact, it's got some really great ingredients - Vitamin C and Vitamin E, both of which my skin loves.  However, the concentration of Vitamin C is so low that results would be almost nonexistent.  Plus, the texture left a lot to be desired - it goes on easily, but dries into a plastic-like film that sits on top of the skin.  My main issue is that they charge an arm and a leg ($60 for 1 ounce - OUCH), and the amount of Vitamin C is too low for anyone to see significant results.   It would be like buying a pricey bottle of wine that had 1/4 cup of wine diluted by 4 cups of water.  You're not going to feel relaxed after drinking a glass of that mess, are you? This is also a product that makes it on a lot of "best of" list, but you're better off spending your money elsewhere.  I actually make my own Vitamin C serum at home for WAY less than a quarter of the price and it's a million times more effective.  Plus I get to feel like a mad scientist, so that's cool.

Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo

Man.  I really had high hopes for this stuff. I love (l-o-v-e, LOVE) using coconut oil as a hair treatment, so I assumed this shampoo would be hydrating and leave my hair soft and silky.  I know what my father always said about assuming.... it makes an "ass" out of yo"u" and "me"...and my hair.  I'm not sure if it was the overwhelming amount of proteins in the shampoo or what, but it made my hair feel like straw.  It was almost like it left a gross coating on each strand of hair.  Heck, I wouldn't even use it on my dog.  It does smell nice though, in case you're into straw-like hair that smells good.  I picked it up on a whim at Target without reading any reviews, so this pretty much my own fault.

Maybelline Color Whisper in "Lust for Blush"

I'm calling you out again, Maybelline.  The Color Whisper line is Maybelline's take on the balm lipstick trend (YSL Sheer Candy, Revlon Lip Butter, etc).  This color has great reviews, so I picked it up.  The color was pale, frosty, and dried my lips out a lot.  Have you every seen dry lips with a frosty lip product?  ICK, ICK, DOUBLE ICK.  I sampled it in the parking lot, then promptly threw it away. Life's too short for dry lips.  Every once in a while, the reviews get it wrong, and this was just one of those times. I recently tried L'Oreals version (Colour Riche Balm in "Rose Elixir", also gets great reviews) and it is awesome! 

Urban Decay Eyeshadow

I know, I know.  I'm just begging for an onslaught of hate mail.  But seriously, I don't get the hype.  Their matte shadows are actually okay -- I've used them and they are smooth and pigmented.  But seriously, UD only has one matte shadow per 800 glitter shadows, so they're the outliers.  In general UD eyeshadows are either glitter bombs or super frosty.  I prefer for my makeup to "glow" rather than "sparkle" or "shine", so they just aren't for me.  I've tried to like them, I really have.  But it's just not happening. Sorry.

Don't tie any Naked palettes onto bricks and throw them through my window okay?

What are your some your beauty busts? Do share!